2000
#61,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 303
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Vecera
A Serbian surname derived from the word "večera" meaning "dinner" or "evening meal."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 334 Americans carry the last name Vecera. That puts it at #72,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,026,211 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vecera surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
334
1 in 1,026,211
Census rank
#72,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
291
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 291 bearers of the surname Vecera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vecera, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vecera
The surname VECERA is of Slavic origin, specifically from the Czech and Slovak regions of Central Europe. It dates back to the 13th century and is derived from the old Czech and Slovak word "večer," which means "evening" or "twilight."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name VECERA can be found in a Czech manuscript from the late 13th century, which mentions a nobleman named Jindřich Večera. This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive surname for individuals who may have worked or lived during the evening hours.
In the 14th century, the name VECERA appeared in various records from the Kingdom of Bohemia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany. During this time, the name was also associated with several small villages and settlements, such as Večeřov and Večerní.
During the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name VECERA was Jan Večera (c. 1420 - 1490), a Czech priest and scholar who served as a rector at the University of Prague. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
In the 16th century, the VECERA surname spread across Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with significant Czech and Slovak populations. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Matouš Večera (c. 1530 - 1599), a Slovak Protestant reformer and translator who played a crucial role in the translation of the Bible into the Slovak language.
Another notable figure with the surname VECERA was Jozef Večera (1835 - 1921), a Slovak painter and art teacher who was known for his portraits and religious paintings. He was a prominent figure in the development of Slovak art in the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name VECERA continued to be found in various parts of Central and Eastern Europe, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields. One such individual was Václav Večera (1906 - 1983), a Czech composer and conductor who was known for his orchestral and choral works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vecera
Among Census respondents with the surname Vecera, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vecera bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vecera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 234
- Hispanic or Latino16.5% · 48
- Two or more races2.7% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vecera
Vecera appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#58,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 348
+45 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 3,518 places
2020
#72,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 291
-57 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 13,752 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,855 | 303 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,337 | 348 | 0.12 | +45 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 3,518 places |
| 2020 | #72,089 | 291 | 0.10 | -57 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 13,752 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vecera surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #58,337 | #72,089 | -23.6% |
| Count | 348 | 291 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.10 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vecera bearers went from 348 to 291 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 13,752 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,337 to #72,089.
FAQ
Vecera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vecera?
Name Census estimates that about 334 living Americans carry the surname Vecera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,026,211 residents.
How common is Vecera?
Vecera ranks #72,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 291 people with the surname Vecera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (334), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vecera.
Has Vecera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vecera went from 348 recorded bearers to 291. That is a decrease of 57 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #58,337 to #72,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Vecera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vecera, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vecera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (234 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vecera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Hispanic (16.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vecera (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vecera mean?
A Serbian surname derived from the word "večera" meaning "dinner" or "evening meal." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vecera (0.10 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Vecera?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.